Rotary offset printing presses



Nov. 12, 1963 F. w. SEYBOLD 3,110,252

ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 9, 1962 4 Sheets-:She e t l INVENT OR ATTORNEY 5 ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 9, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W I I T O O 5 INVENTOR o 0 5M 7% W ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1963 F. w. SEYBOLD 3,110,252

ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 9, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1963 F. w. SEYBOLD 3,110,252

' ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESSES Filed April 9, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEYS INVENTOR United States Patent 3,110,252 RQTARY GFFSET kRW'ilNG PRESSES Frederick W. Seyboid, Scotch Plains, Ni, assignor to American Type Founders (10., inc, Elizabeth, Ni, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 136,225 11 Claims. (Cl. Hill-44 i) This invention relates to offset printing and more particularly to mechanism for bringing the auxiliary ink and water supplying rollers into and out of operative position with respect to the plate cylinder.

Well known in the art is the fact that the offset printing process requires that the non-printing areas of the plate must be kept moist so that the ink, which has an oily base, will not adhere thereto, but that the ink be applied to the printing areas only. In some current types of olfset presses, linkage mechanism which actuates the water and ink form rollers is so constructed and arranged in connection with the impression throw-oft motor that the latter acts to move the water and inking rollers away from the plate cylinder simultaneously and to return them into contact with the plate cylinder both at the same time.

Under these conditions, it sometimes occurs that certain areas of the plate are deficient in moisture at the time the ink rollers come into contact with them, and as a result the ink rollers will ink up certain non-printing portions of said areas. In order to obviate this rather serious defim'ency, provisions have been made to actuate the water form rollers manually, so that the operator can wet the plate prior to the time that the ink rollers are tripped down to operative contact with the plate.

However, the drawbacks incidental to such manual operation are obvious, not only with respect to the eX- tra attention and supervision required of the operator but in connection with lack of uniformity of operation on the same job.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to provide automatic means for insuring that the printing plate is moist before the inking rollers are applied and that it is kept moist after the ink rollers are removed from contact with the plate.

A consequent important feature of novelty of the invention in the provision of such automatic sequencing means, is the assurance that the water rollers will be applied to the plate cylinder at the sarne time relative to the printing cycle and also removed at the same relative time. Thus, greater consistency is maintained which results in printing of better quality and in less spoilage.

The invention in its preferred embodiment contemplates the provision of an interrelated linkage mechanism operatively connected with the impression throwotf motor, so that during the process of bringing the cylinders on impression for printing, the water form rollers will be applied first and then followed by the ink form rollers. Conversely, when the cylinders are to go off impression the novel linkage system causes the ink form rollers to break contact with the plate first and then to be followed by the removal of the Water form rollers.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic and fragmentary View in elevation of an ofiset press embodying the principles of the invention, only the bare minimum of elements necessary for an understanding of the invention being shown;

FIGURE 2 is a partial view in side elevation of the ice press showing the novel water and ink supplying roller actuating mechanisms, the various parts still being illustrated in somewhat diagrammatic style;

FIGURES 3 and 4 are views similar to FIGURE 2 in which the linkages are shown in two diiierent displaced positions; i

FEGURE 5 is a diagram showing a composite picture of the three positions of the linkages as illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 respectively;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary View, on an enlarged scale, of the restraining spring system shown in the lower portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a greatly enlarged view of a manually adjustable connection shown near the left central portion of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional View taken on line 8,% of FIGURE 7.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in FIGURES l and 2, the side frames of the press are represented in somewhat diagrammatic form at it and 11, these side frames resting upon a base structure suggested at 12.

A bracket '13 is secured outwardly of the base frame 12 and serves to support a throw-oil? motor 15 of the gear-head type together with the reduction gearing contained in the housing 16.

Suitably journalled as by means of the respective trunnioned :ends 18 and 19 in the side frames 10 and H of the press are the blanket cylinder 29 and the plate cylinder 21. These elements are well known in the art and comprise means for transferring the image of the matter to be printed, from the plate indicated at 21a on the plate cylinder 21 to the blanket 2611 on the blanket cylinder 20, the image on the latter medium being transferred to a sheet or web which passes between the blanket cylinder 20 and an impression cylinder of the usual type, indicated diagrammatically at 22. In a perfecting press, of course, this impression cylinder 22 takes the form of a blanket offset cylinder like cylinder 21, the two cylinders 21 and 22 both performing the dual function of impression cylinders and offset printing cylinders.

For the sake of clearness of illustration, the driving means for the cylinders 20, 21 and 22 are not shown, but it is understood that these may take the form of any conventional or well-known mechanism currently employed in the art.

In the diagrammatic showing in FIGURE 2 (but omitted from the illustration in FIGURE 1) are the ink and water supplying rollers and supports therefor which are represented quite diagrammatically herein and only to the extent that one skilled in the art may recognize these mechanisms and understand their construction, function, and utility. For perhaps a somewhat more detailed exemplification of these auxiliaries, reference is made to the co-pending application of Heller and Steyer Serial No. 862,935, filed December 30, 1959. It is sufficient for the purpose of explaining the construction and operation of the present improvement to indicate as in FIGURE 2 of the present drawings that there are provided two water form rollers 25 and 26 and three ink form rollers 27, 28 and 29. Water rollers 25 and 26 are carried respectively by pivoted brackets 39 and 31 which have a common pivot shaft 32 carried by appropriate fixed portions of the press frame, said shaft also serving as the axle of the vibrator roll 36.

The two ink form rollers 27, 28 are similarly supported by brackets 33 and 34 having a common pivot means indicated at 35 at the center of the ink vibrator roll 67. The third ink roller 29 shown here only diagrammatically is supported by a single bracket similar to those shown at 33 and 34 and having its own pivot about the axis of its vibrator roll 38. This third ink roller and its associated supporting and controlling means may be exactly similar to the roller indicated at 72 in the aforesaid co-pending application.

Suitably carried by the respective brackets and adjacent the ends of the plate cylinder 21 are the pinions 49, 41, 42, 4-3 and 44, these pinions being journalled in bores provided in frames :14) and 11. The teeth of the pinions 40 and 41 are continually in mesh with the arcuate rack segment 45 which is supported in an arcuate track suggested at 46 and similar to the rack supporting track means 1G9 shown in FIGURE 3 of the above mentioned co-pending application. Slidably mounted upon a concentric track means 46a is the somewhat longer arcuate segmental rack 50 with which the teeth of the eccentric pinions 42, 43 and 44 mesh.

From the above description in connection with the present drawings and the more elaborate disclosure of the copending application, it will be readily understood that oscillation of the racks 45 and 50 on the tracks 46 and 46a which are concentric with the plate cylinder 21, will cause the pinions 4t, and 41 to rotate about their axes. The eccentnically mounted pins 40a and 41a carried by the pinions will, through the links 40b and 41b and pins 40c and die, swing the brackets 31 and 31 about their pivot shaft 32 to move the water rollers 25 and 26 to and from working contact with the plate 21a on the plate cylinder 21. In a similar fashion, the pinions 42, 43' and 44, through their correspondingly numbered connections, will bring the Water rollers 27, 28 and 29 to and from effective contact with the plate.

The present invention is concerned with novel means for ordering the sequence of application and removal of the ink form rollers and the water form rollers from the plate cylinder.

Protruding from the gear box '16 of the throw-off motor 15 is the drive shaft 6i and upon that shaft is the crank disc 61 which carries the crank pin 62 to which the lefthand end of the link 63 is pivoted. A bell crank 65 is fixed to the shaft 66 which is the impression throw-01f shaft for the press and it will be readily understood that rotative movement of the motor 15 will swing the bell crank 65 to rotate the shaft 66 journalled in the side frames and 11 at the proper times for throwing off the impression. The output shaft 6%} of the throw-0E motor is preferably regulated to turn at the approximate speed of about 10 r.p.m. The motor is a reversing motor having a limit switch which opens the circuit after the crank has completed 180? of rotation. A reversing circuit causes the motor to rotate in the reverse direction for the remaining 180 of the cycle of operation. 7

The shorter arm 63 of the bell crank 65 is pivoted as at 69 to the long vertically extending. link 70, the upper end of which is inserted between the parallel links 71 and pivoted to intermediate points thereon by means of the pin 72. Links 71 are pivotally connected at their lefthand ends by means of the pin '73 to both an arm of the bell crank 75 and a vertical rod 77 which leads to a spring restraining mechanism to be described presently.

The crank or lever 75 is pivoted upon the stub shaft 86 carried by the frame 10 and the forked arm 31 of the bell crank 75 is pivoted as at $2 to the lower end of the vertical link 85. The right-hand ends of the parallel links 71 are pivoted as at 87 to the lower end of the vertical link 88.

Reference is now particularly directed to FIGURES 1, 2, 7 and 8 of the drawings in which certain manually controlled connections in the auxiliary roller controlling linkages are shown.

Oppositely disposed bores are provided in the side frames 10 and 11 as suggested at 90 in FIGURE 7 and an oscillating shaft 92- is mounted in said bores. A forked bell crank lever 95 is free to turn on the shaft 92 and the vertical link is pivotally connected at one end of this forked lever as at 96.

Poppet elements are fixed at appropriate points on 6;} the side frame 19 to adjustably limit the swinging of the cranks 81 and 95 and the vertical movement of the intervening link 85. A bracket 1% is fixed to the frame 149 and an adjustable set screw 161 is threaded therein and capable of adjustment by means of applying a wrench to the head 1% thereof. It will be seen that the downward movement of the crank arm 81 and thus of the link and the crank will be limited by abutment with the screw 101. 19 and a limiting set screw 1&5 threaded therein for abutment by the crank 95 at the upper limit of its swinging movement.

Fixedly secured to the forked lever 95 and best shown in FIGURES 7 and 3 of the drawings is a disc 11%, the disc being provided at one point on its periphery with a square notch 111. Keyed as at 113 to the end of the shaft 92 is a throw-off handle assembly indicated generally by the reference numeral 115. As clearly indicated in FIGURES 7 and 8 of the drawings, this assembly includes the basic handle element 116 which is forked as indicated at 117 to receive the handle lock member 12% pivoted within the fork 117 as by means of the pin 121. The lock element 120 is provided with a tooth 122 and an operating handle grip 124. The portion 116 and the handle lock member 124) are provided with mutually facing sockets to contain the coil spring 25 which urges the lock member 128 toward clockwise movement to engage the tooth 122 within the notch 111 of the disc 11%.

When the parts 115 and 11% are so engaged, the motion of the link 85 will cause the shaft 92 to rotate. When the hand grip 124 is depressed, it will cause disengagement of the detent 122 from the notch 111 and thereby permit rotation of the shaft 22 independent of the linkage mechanism.

Continuing the description of the mechanism associated with the control of the inking rollers, it will be seen from FIGURE 2 that a crank 13% is keyed to the shaft 12 but carried upon the portion of the shaft which extends inwardly between the side frames 1% and 11. The lower end of a link 131 is pivoted to this crank and the upper end of this link is pivotally connected as at 132 with a gear segment lever 135 which is pivotally mounted by means of the stud 136 carried by the side frame member 19. The gear segment 14% carried by the left-hand end of the lever 135 meshes with the teeth 14-2 of the rack 50 and it will be readily seen that upon oscillation of the segment 146 the rack 5% will be caused to move to and from upon its circular track and rotate the pinions 42, 43 and 44 in alternatively opposite directions to swing the ink form rollers 27, 2S and 2.? to or from operative contact with the plate cylinder 21.

Now tracing the equivalent action of the linkages on the water supplying rollers, it Will be seen from FIG- URES l, 2, 7, and 8 that a quite similar installation is provided to the one associated with the ink rollers. the forked lever 15% is freely mounted upon the shaft 152 journalled in the openings 153 in opposite side frames of the press and in al ways similar to the shaft 92 already described. Since the shaft 152 and its associated mechanism is the nearer one as viewed in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, its installation is shown therein rather than the more remote installation involving the ink roller shafting and linkages already described. The link 33 is pivotally connected as at 154 to one form of the crank member 15% and an adjustable poppet stop screw installation 155 is provided for limiting the downward movement of the right-hand ends of the parallel links 71 and the vertical link 88. A similar poppet stop screw arrange ment 156 is provided to limit the counterclockwise movement of the crank 15% and the upward movement of the link 88. Fixed to the crank 15% is the disc 169 which is provided with a notch 1&1 at a point on its periphery which is engageable by a tooth carried by the locking element 162 which is pivctally mounted upon the basic lock handle structure 165 carried to the end of the shaft Similarly, a bracket 1% is fixed to the frame Thus,

152 and in all respects equivalent to the arrangement 115 shown in FIGURE 7 of the drawings.

Also, in exact duplication of the previously described inking arrangement, the shaft 152 has cranks 17d keyed thereto and the ends or" these cranks are pivotally connected to the links 172.

The upper end of each link 172 is pivotally connected as at 174 with an arm of the bell crank lever 175 rotatably carried by the shaft 176 upon the side frames. The opposite arm of each of the cranks 175 is pivotally connected as at 178 with the right-hand end of the long horizontal link 18%), the left-hand end of which is pivotally connected as at 181 with the segmental rack 55 slidable in the circular track 46 and meshing with the pinions ll and 41 associated with the water form rollers and 26. It will be clearly seen that upon oscillation of the rack the pinions 4d and 41 will be rotated upon their axes to rock the water rollers to and from contact with the plate cylinder 21.

Means are provided for biasing these various linkages which have been described, in directions to urge the mechanisms toward one limit of their possible movements. Thus, following the vertical link 77 to its lower connections, it will be seen that the link is pivoted as at 1% to one arm of a bell crank 191, this bell crank being pivoted upon a pin 192 carried by a bracket 1% fixed to the side frame 1% The other arm of the bell crank 21% is pivoted as at 195 to the short link 1%, the other end of which is pivoted as at 1?? to the forked end of the guide rod 2% which is slidably carried within the bore 2431 in the lower portion of the side frame ill as clemly shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 or" the drawings.

A smaller bore 2% is let into the inward face of the rear side frame member 11 and serves to support the righthand end of the spring guide rod 2625. The opposite end of the guide rod 205 enters the bore 2% in the end of the first named guide rod 2%.

A coil spring 203 surrounds the spring guide rod 2% and is compressed between the annular end portion 269 of the recessed guide rod 2% and the adjustable collar 21% pinned to the rod 295. Another collar 211 serves to adjustably limit the insertion of the right-hand end or" the rod 2G5 into the bore 2%.

It will thus be seen that the spring 2% serves to urge the guide rod 2%5 toward the frame 11 and the guide rod 2% toward the left as viewed in FIGURES l and 6 and thus to urge the bell crank 1% to rotate in the clockwise direction and exert a downward pull on the vertical link 77 which is connected to the multiple linkage 7T, 75.

The operation of the mechanism which has been described, in order to effect the sequential application and separation of the water and ink applying instrumentalities to the plate cylinder will now be described. Let it be assumed that the press cylinders are in their tripped or off impression positions, as in the condition shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Thus, both the ink rollers 27, 28 and 2? and the water rollers 25 and 26 are spaced ver slightly from the surface of the plate 21a upon the plate cylinder 21.

It" the throw-off motor 15 is now energized to return the parts to impression contact, the crank pin 62 Will move in a counterclockwise path of travel from the position shown in FIGURE 2, and through the intermediary of the link 63 the bell crank 65 will begin to turn in a counterclockwise direction and move the long link 79 upwardly.

The spring 2&8, constantly urging the guide shaft 2% toward the left as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 6 of the drawings, will urge the bell crank 1531 in a clockwise direction and thus exert a constant pull upon the vertical link 77. Consequently the bifurcated rocking lever or crank will be urged in its clockwise direction toward the position shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The vertical link will also tend to rotate the pivoted lever or crank member in a clockwise direction, but movement in this direction is limited by the adjustable stop screw 105.

Now the twin parallel links 71 are pivoted at their lefthand ends at 73 to the right-hand end of the crank 75 and the upper end of the spring-pulled link 77, and their right-hand ends are pivoted at 87 to the lower end of the vertical link 8d. Link 7 0 is connected at an intermediate point 73 to the links 71 and therefore upward movement of the link 7% in response to the rotation of the crank 65 ellected by the motor 15 will swing the links 71 about he center 72 in a counterclockwise direction and will cause the vertical link 38 to move upwardly, thereby rotating the crank lever and its associated crank 17% in a counterclockwise direction, this moving link T72 upwardly and rotating the bell crank counterclockwise. This moves the horizontal link toward the left, slidin the gear segment 45 in a counterclockwise direction around its circular path 46, and rotating the pinions as and 41 in clockwise directions, thus swinging the brackets 39 and 31 in directions to cause the water form rollers 25 and 26 to approach and contact the plate 21a on the plate cylinder 21 and apply water to the plate. This application of the water form rollers is completed when the crank or lever 15% abuts the stop screw installation 156. At this point the crank pin 62 driven by the throw-oil motor 15 has completed about one-quarter of a revolution and consequently the crank 65 has passed through about one-half of its total movement in one direction. When this position of the parts has been reached they will occupy the positions clearly shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

Now continued movement of the crank 62 in the counterclockwise direction from the low point just described will cause the crank 65 to move through the remainder of its permitted orbit in the stated direction and this will cause a further elevation of the link 7 t). In view of the fact that the link 38 and the right-hand end of the parallel links 71 are prevented from moving upwardly by the stop screw 15%, the only movement permitted the levers 71 by continued upward movement of the link 79 is a raising of the left-hand ends about the point 37 as a fulcrum and this will rotate the crank 75 in a counterclockwise direction against the downward urging of the spring controlled vertical link 77, thus compressing the spring 263 shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 of the drawings. This counterclockwise movement of the crank 75 will cause the link 55 to descend and rotate the crank 95 and its associated crank 3.3% in the counterclockwise direction until the left-hand arm Ell of the crank 75 abuts the adjustable stop screw 191. During this movement the link 131 will be moved upwardly, rotating the segment lever 1.35 in the counterclockwise direction around its pivot 136, and causing the gear segment 14% to slide the segmental rack section 5% in the clockwise direction on the track 46a. This will rotate the pinions 42, 43 and 44 in the counterclockwise direction and cause the brackets 33 and 3d and the bracket carrying the roller 29, which bracket is not shown, to cause the ink rollers 27, 28 and 29 to approach and contact the plate on the cylinder 21.

Thus, the ink form rollers are applied to the plate but only after the plate has been sufiiciently moistened by the prior application of the water rollers 25 and 26. This movement is thus completed when the crank 75 strikes the set screw 101.

This condition, clearly represented in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, will maintain during the printing run.

Then when it is desired to trip the cylinders ofi impression, the throw-oil motor 15 is energized and the crank 62 reverses its direction of rotation through its return path from the position shown in FIGURE 4. During the progress of the crank pin 62 back through the second quarter of its cycle of movement, the various parts will return from the positions shown in FIGURE 4 to those shown in FIGURE 3 and thus a reversal of the a movement of the crank arm 75 due to the first portion of the descent of the link 79 attached to the levers 71 will cause the link 55 to rise, the crank 95 to rotate in a clockwise direction, the link 131 to descend, the gear segment lever 135 torotate clockwise, and the rack 59 to return in counterclockwise direction around the plate cylinder, thus rotating the pinions 42, 43 and 44 in the direction to again swing the ink rollers 27, 23 and 2? out of contact with the plate.

However, of course, the water rollers 25 and 26 continue to apply moisture to the plate until they are subsequently moved to retracted position. In order to retract these rollers, further movement of the crank pin 62 back through the first quarter of its cycle to the position shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings causes the crank 55 to return to its original position bringing the link 79 downwardly, causing the levers 71 to swing around the pivot point 73, causing the link 88 to descend, the cranks l53 and 154 to rotate in a clockwise direction, and the crank 75 to effect a similar rotation, bringing the link 11% to the right and moving the rack segment 45 in the clockwise direction to actuate the water form rollers 25 and 26 to off impression position.

Perhaps the diagrammatic view of FIGURE 5 will summarize the sequence of movements of the crucial linkages adjacent the central portion of the installation. in this view the ofi impression positions of the various parts as in FIGURE 2, are shown in solid lines, this condition being indicated by the reference character I. Then upon the first movement of the link 70 upwardly the floating levers 71 are swung around the pivot 75 causing the link 88 to rise to position ll of the parts shown in broken or dotted lines. In this position, the rocking lever or crank 75 maintains its solid line position.

However, upon further upward movement of the link 7:) the pivot point 73 moves upwardly stressing the spring controlled system connected with the link 77 and swinging the crank lever 75 in the counterclockwise direction where the parts will occupy the dot-and-dash positions indicated as condition III. Although this causes a slight lateral shift of the pivot points 87 and the lower end of the link 88, this is of no consequence since the upper end of the lever 88 is continually urged upwardly so that the crank 150 is maintained in abutment with the adjustable stop pin 155.

The manual interlocking connections as at 115 between the shafts 92 and 152 and the respective crank members 95 and 156 permit the disconnection of these shafts from the linkages driven by the throw-ofi motor so that the shafts 92 and 152 may rotate independently of the linkage mechanism in order to move the water and inking rollers toward and from the plate cylinder at will.

It will be noted that the lever or crank assemblies 95 and 150 are double ended and provided with opposite pivot openings 95a and 154a. These pivot openings are provided for connecting links which operate similar roller application and retraction mechanism of the additional plate cylinder of a perfecting press.

It is understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope of the invention as determined by the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A rotary offset printing press, which comprises a plate cylinder carrying an oifset printing plate, a blanket cylinder carrying an olfset blanket, an impression cylinder forming with said blanket cylinder a printing couple between which sheets or webs may be fed to receive the impression; an inking system and a water-supplying systern, and means for advancing and retracting said systems to respectively apply ink and water to the plate on said plate cylinder and to discontinue said application; said press characterized by the provision, in said advancing and retracting means, of a spring-restrained common operator element movable through two stages during both oil-impression and oil-impression cycles, the first stage, i.e. to Water-on position, being relatively unrestricted until said position is attained, and spring means restraining movement of said element toward inking-on position during said first stage and yielding during said second stage to permit said movement; said spring means also urging said element and the inking system back toward inking-off of retracted position during the first stage of the off-impression cycle in advance of the Water-oil or retraction movement, said last named movement being permitted freely during the second stage of said offimpression cycle.

2. A rotary olfset printing press, which comprises a plate cylinder carrying an oifset printing plate, a blanket cylinder carrying an offset blanket, an impression cylinder forming with said blanket cylinder a printing couple between which sheets or webs may be fed to receive the impression; an inking system and a Water-supplying'systom, and means for advancing and retracting said systems to respectively apply ink and water to the plate on said plate cylinder and to discontinue said application; said press characterized by the provision, in said advancing and retracting means, of an actuator member movable alternately to on and oil positions, and a floating lever serving as a common operator element for said systems; means operatively connecting said Water-supplying system, said inking system, and said actuator member to said lever at spaced points therealong; spring means continually urging said inking system toward off or retracted position, whereby during initial movement of said actuator member to swing said lever to move the watersupplying system to oil-position the inking system is restrained from movement toward on-position, but upon continued movement of said actuating member to swing the lever, the inking system is moved against the resistance of said spring means to its oil-position, and conversely upon retractive movement of said actuating member to swing said lever, the spring means urges the inking system to off-position following up the retraction of said actuating member, and finally said water-supplying system moves back to elf-position during the remainder of the return movement of the actuating member to initial position. 7

3. A rotary oiiset printing press, which comprises a plate cylinder carrying an offset printing plate, a blanket cylinder carrying an offset blanket, an impression cylinder forming with said blanket cylinder a printing couple between which sheets or'webs may be fed to receive the impression; an inking system and a water-supplying system, and means for advancing and retracting said systems to respectively apply ink and water to the plate on said plate cylinder and to discontinue said application; said press characterized by the provision of an actuator member movable to on and oil positions, a linkage connected with said imiing system and stop means respectively limiting the on and off movements of said linkage, a linkage connected with said water-supplying system and stop means limiting the on and olf movements of said linkage; a floating lever serving as a common operator element for said inking and Water-supplying linkages, means pivotally connecting said actuator member, said inking linkage and said water-supplying linkage to spaced points along said lever, means confining the operative movements of said lever to substantially a single plane, said actuator member adapted to move in both on and off directions in two stages respectively; spring means operatively connected with said inking system to continually urge it toward retracted or oil-position, whereby during the first stage of the on movement of said actuator member, the lever swings to move the water-supplying system linkage to OIl-pOSltiOIl, the on movement of the inking linkage being resisted by said spring means, but upon continued movement of said lever in the same general direction during the second stage of movement of the said actuator member after the watensupplying linkage has abutted the stop limiting its own movement, tie inking linkage moves toward on-po-sition against the urging of said spring means; and conversely upon the first stage of retractive movement of said actuator member, the spring means moves said inking linkage to off-position and upon the second stage the water-supply linkage is moved to off-position.

4. The offset press as set forth in claim 3 in which said spring means is connected directly to said operator lever adjacent the point of connection of said i king linkage.

5. The offset press as set forth in claim 3 in which the press has two spaced side frames and the lever and the actuator member and at least part of said link is mounted on one of said side frames, and in which said spring means comprises a linkage extending along said last named side frame and connected by means of a crank to an expansion spring device seatin in openings in both side frames and extending from one to the other.

6. The offset press as set forth in claim 5 in which said spring device comprises a stub shaft siidable in em opening through one of said side frames of the press and having its outer end connected with said last named crank and an axial bore in its inward end, a shaft of smaller diameter having one end slidably mounted in the bore of said first named shaft and having its opposite end inserted into an opening in the opposite side frame, a spring seat on said smaller shaft and a coil compression spring surrounding said last named shaft and compressed between said spring seat and the bored end of said first named shaft to urge said shafts apart and cause the larger shaft to urge said last named crank in a direction to cause its attached linkage to restrain the movement of said operating lever as it relates to actuation of said inking linkage.

7. The offset press as set forth in claim 3 in which there is provided in at least one of said linkages, a manoperation of said linkage may be disabled upon occasion.

8. The offset press as set forth in claim 7 in which said linkage capable of being disabled includes a rotatable shaft extending transversely of said press and having connections with the inking and water-supplying means, a rotatable member concentric with said shaft and actuatable by said operating lever; said rotatable means and an end of said shaft comprising disconnectable members of the linkage, a notched disc carried by one of said disconnectaoie members and a pivoted handle carried by the other and adapted to be swung into and out of engagement with said notch to respectively connect and disconnect the linkage parts for selective operation.

9. The ofiset press as set forth in claim 8 in which such a releasable connection is incorporated in both of said linkages; in which said shafts are spaced apart horizontally; in which said rotatable members carry the notched discs, the handle members being carried by the shaft ends; in which a crank arm extends in one approximately horizontal direction from one of said rotatable members and a crank arm extends from the other of said rotatable members in the opposite direction, and approximately vertically extending links connect the outward ends of said crank arms respectively with an outward end of said operator lever and an oppositely extending outward end of an intermediate lever, said intermediate lever being pivotal-1y connected adjacent its center with a fixed point on one of the side frames, said intermediate lever havin its other end pivotally connected with the other end of said operator lever, the actuator member being pivotally connected with an intermediate point on the operator lever.

19. The ofiset press as set forth in claim 3 in which each of said" linkages includes a rotatable member operatively connected with the respective inking and watersuppiying systems; and in which a crank arm extends in one approximately horizontal direction from one of said rotatable members and a crank arm extends from the other of said rotatable members in the opposite direction, and approximately vertically extending links connect the outward ends of said crank arms respectively with an outward end of said operator lever and an oppositely xtending outward end of an intermediate lever, said intermediate lever being pivotally connected adjacent its center with a fixed point on one of the side frames, said intermediate lever having its other end pivotally connected with the other end of said operator lever, the actuator member being pivotally connected with an intermediate point on the operator lever.

11. A rotary offset printing press, which comprises a plate cylinder carrying an offset printing plate, a blanket cylinder carrying an offset blanket, an impression cylinder forming with said blanket cylinder a printing couple between which sheets or webs may be fed to receive the impression, means for throwing off the impression of the printing couple and for restoring the impression, an inking system and a water-supplying system, and means for advancing and retracting said systems to respectively apply ink and water to the plate on said plate cylinder and to discontinue said application; said press characterized by the provision of reversible power means for actuating the impression throw-ofi means from off-impression position to oil-impression position and back to off-impression position, mechanism interposed between said power means and said inking and said water-supplying systems to advance and retract said systems, said mechanism including means actuated through approximately the first half of the cycle of movement of the power means in the impression-on direction for advancing said Water-supplying system to operative position, and means actuated during the second half of said cycle to actuate the ink supplying means to operative position, said means being moved in reverse action during the return cycle of movement of said power means in impression-oil" direction to retract said inking system through the first half thereof and during the second half thereof to retract said water-supplying system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,970 Mestre Dec. 8, 1959 

1. A ROTARY OFFSET PRINTING PRESS, WHICH COMPRISES A PLATE CYLINDER CARRYING AN OFFSET PRINTING PLATE, A BLANKET CYLINDER CARRYING AN OFFSET BLANKET, AN IMPRESSION CYLINDER FORMING WITH SAID BLANKET CYLINDER A PRINTING COUPLE BETWEEN WHICH SHEETS OR WEBS MAY BE FED TO RECEIVE THE IMPRESSION; AN INKING SYSTEM AND A WATER-SUPPLYING SYSTEM, AND MEANS FOR ADVANCING AND RETRACTING SAID SYSTEMS TO RESPECTIVELY APPLY INK AND WATER TO THE PLATE ON SAID PLATE CYLINDER AND TO DISCONTINUE SAID APPLICATION; SAID PRESS CHARACTERIZED BY THE PROVISION, IN SAID ADVANCING AND RETRACTING MEANS, OF A SPRING-RESTRAINED COMMON OPERATOR ELEMENT MOVABLE THROUGH TWO STAGES DURING BOTH ON-IMPRESSION AND OFF-IMPRESSION CYCLES, THE FIRSTG STAGE, I.E. TO WATER-ON POSITION, BEING RELATIVELY UNRESTRICTED UNTIL SAID POSITION IS ATTAINED, AND SPRING MEANS RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID ELEMENT TOWARD INKING-ON POSITION DURING SAID FIRST STAGE AND YIELDING DURING SAID SECOND STAGE TO PERMIT SAID MOVEMENT; SAID SPRING MEANS ALSO URGING SAID ELEMENT AND THE INKING SYSTEM BACK TOWARD INKING-OFF OF RETRACTED POSITION DURING THE FIRST STAGE OF THE OFF-IMPRESSION CYCLE IN ADVANCE OF THE WATER-OFF OR RETRACTION MOVEMENT, SAID LAST NAMED MOVEMENT BEING PERMITTED FREELY DURING THE SECOND STAGE OF SAID OFFIMPRESSION CYCLE. 